Political tensions in poll-bound Bihar escalated on Friday as workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (Congress) clashed violently.
The altercation occurred during a protest organised by the BJP to condemn the use of abusive and derogatory language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother. The offensive remarks were reportedly made by a man during a 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' rally led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Members of both parties were seen physically attacking each other while brandishing their party flags in a video that went viral on social media. The demonstration was a direct reaction to a widely shared video that went viral the day before and featured a man cursing PM Modi in Hindi while brandishing a Congress flag. This individual was speaking from a makeshift stage at what was described as a 'voter theft' rally.
Following the circulation of the video, the BJP took immediate action, filing a formal complaint and demanding a public apology from the Congress party. A separate case was also filed against Rahul Gandhi in Patna in connection with the incident.
The Darbhanga Police confirmed the arrest of the individual responsible for the offensive remarks. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the police stated, "In the said case, while registering an FIR under Simri police station, 01 accused has been arrested and is being sent to the court."
The incident drew widespread condemnation from top political figures. The language was harshly condemned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who called it a "stain" on the nation's democracy. He attacked the Congress party in a post on X, saying that the party's politics had "reached its lowest level" under Rahul Gandhi's leadership.
The Congress, Shah said, could not comprehend "how a poor mother's son has been sitting in the Prime Minister's chair for the past 11 years and is continuously taking the country forward under his leadership."
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi, allies to wrap up Bihar yatra with march on Sept 1
The incident, he continued, showed the Congress party's return to its "old ways and character", which he said has "always poisoned the country's political culture".
BJP President JP Nadda also weighed in on the matter, stating that the abuses directed at PM Modi and his mother had "crossed all limits of indecency". He demanded that both Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was present at the rally, issue an apology.
The incident was also denounced by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who called it "inappropriate". "It is completely inappropriate, and I condemn the use of derogatory language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother by the Congress and RJD platforms during the Voter Rights Yatra in Darbhanga," he said.
Congressman Pawan Khera, on the other hand, refuted the charges, asserting that the BJP was purposefully bringing up "irrelevant" topics to deflect focus away from more important issues.
Also Read: Amit Shah, JP Nadda slam Cong over ‘abuse’ of PM Modi’s mother
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